FC St. Pauli

...Monday night's game at Kiel: "We've worked very hard preparing for the game, which again won't be easy. In quality terms, especially going forward, I think Kiel are a very strong team. They carry a big goal threat through the midfield and attack. Kiel have so many players who are capable of creating something in individual situations. They are where they are in the table but they can still beat anyone in this league. It's going to be very tough but we're up for it. If we can repeat the performance from the Stuttgart game, I think we'll win, but it's a new game under new conditions. We go into it full of energy. We want to convert our individual quality into a certain effectiveness. That will determine whether we get a result of not."

...the trip to Kiel: "It's not far so we've booked a hotel for the day and will travel up tomorrow. We'll be in Kiel at one o'clock at the latest. We don't kick off until 8:30, so we'll have enough time to prepare properly."

...the injury situation: "Leo Østigård got a kick on the calf in midweek but he was able to train today and a decision will be taken tomorrow on whether he can play. The same goes for Waldemar Sobota. The players have really let loose in training in the last few days and I hope there won't be any after-effects. This will also be decided tomorrow. The players have to be 100% fit to play. Luca Zander took a blow to the hip against Fürth but is available again. James Lawrence is doing well and has stepped up the intensity in training. He'll continue on a managed workload and is set to resume full training towards the end of the week, but he won't be an option for either Kiel or Dresden."

...the depth in the squad: "Apart from Christopher Avevor, Christian Conteh and James Lawrence, every player is fit and available to play in principle. Having a deep squad is very positive for us because it intensifies the battle for places. It will all come down to how a player performed in the last game and every day in training. Each player needs to show he's an option for the starting lineup or the bench. We have two tough games ahead of us on Monday and Friday, so we'll have to take a very close look at the data for every player to see if that's feasible for them, especially for the ones who've been out with injury"

...the long barren spell away from home: "A win would obviously help us get away from the drop zone and give us more motivation. We've had enough opportunities to win in our previous away games. We need to be more composed and more ruthless in some situations. When we go into a tackle, we need to give the other player the feeling he's not getting past us. Maybe we need to take a yellow card occasionally for a tactical foul. They may be small things, but it's details like these that determine whether you win or lose."

… the criticism directed at Matt Penney after the Stuttgart game: "I have a problem with the press writing in such an excessive and inappropriate way about a player. It's not OK! A 21-year-old lad lost the ball 70 metres from his own goal. It resulted in a counterattack where another four players could have prevented the goal. We win together and we lose together. We should have put the game to bed much earlier. Losing the ball happens in football. We've had games where other players have made mistakes just outside our own box that led to goals or us losing the game. The press coverage wasn't as excessive then. You have to remain objective. Anyone can and should be able to make a mistake. You just have to put them right collectively. We had the opportunity to do that and didn't take it. We have to deal with it as a team and look ahead. That's what we've done."

Photos: Witters